Gosforth was a timber ship, registered as 810 tons[1] and launched in 1856 for passenger transport between England and East India.[2] Gosforth was built by T. and W. Smith Shipbuilders,[3] later to become Smiths Dock Company, in North Shields,[2] England. At the time of launch, Gosforth was described as an East Indiaman,[2] though was subsequently termed "frigate-built".[4]
Gosforth was chartered for at least one voyage to take new settlers to Adelaide in the colony of South Australia.[5][1] Gosforth departed Plymouth on 3 October 1865 captained by H.P.W. Wight and arrived in Port Adelaide on 26 December 1865 with 388 people on board.[1] Over half of the new settlers emigrated from Cornwall.[6]